It's no coincidence that the first "business" airplanes took to the skies just as the era of the modern airliner arrived. Progress in engine technology and aerodynamics (resulting in faster speeds and longer range) made it possible by the mid-1930s for airlines to carry more passengers farther and in less time.

I wouldn't normally comment about something I saw in an advertisement in this magazine, but the PlaneSense ad on page 65 in our 2010 Buyers' Guide hit too close to home to let pass without relating a recent tale of airline-travel-induced woe.

Recently released industry forecasts and surveys suggest that interest in business jet travel is on the rise again as fliers revert to their natural consumerist tendencies. Improving economic conditions have yet to translate into an increase in aircraft orders, but the cancellations and deferments that characterized much of 2009 appear to have abated.

Nobody knows for sure what Iceland's temperamental Eyjafjallajökull volcano will do next. But the lack of a coordinated response to the ash cloud by air traffic control officials-and the ensuing lengthy shutdowns of air travel across Europe this spring-clearly needs to be remedied. The question is how?

The last time we put something other than a celebrity on the cover of a regular issue was just over a year ago, when we ran photos of Detroit's embattled auto CEOs testifying before Congress [February/March 2009 issue].

Three key figures in the banking industry's attempt to rebound from the financial crisis missed a much-hyped 11 a.m. meeting at the White House on December 15 when their flights were canceled because of fog at Washington National Airport.

TOM BUFFENBARGER heads the powerful International Machinists union, which has more than 90,000 members who work in the aerospace industry. He says he'll be watching President Obama's State of the Union address in January, and is hoping to hear an eight-word phrase he says is long overdue: "Business aviation is vital to America's economic recovery."

The reasons behind Richard Santulli's sudden departure from NetJets have been the subject of speculation for weeks. Sources tell us he was forced out for failing to move aggressively enough to stem financial losses at the fractional-ownership giant. Others say he fell out of favor after rejecting calls to let go of senior managers who'd worked alongside him for years.

Quote/Unquote

““When I made the film The Invention of Lying, they gave me a private jet for getting back and forth between New York and London. I thought, ‘I will never use it’ but I ended up using it every weekend. You turn up, right, and the airport is completely empty. I mean, there’s just someone at the desk and then the pilot, who says, ‘Are you ready to go?’ and you say, ‘Don’t you want to see my passport?’ and he goes, ‘Oh yeah, I suppose I’d better.’”
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